Shield Your Heart
by swarley and sparkles 5ever
Summary: Originally, this story was an explanation as to why Maria Hill is wearing Steve Rogers' jacket in the AOU trailer, but it eventually took on a life of its own and developed into a multi-chapter CapHill fic. So, enjoy :) (previously titled The Agent and The Captain)
1. Matchmaker

**Hi there! **

**This is my very first MCU fic ... ever. So first of all, thank you for being the lab rats to this experiment :) Secondly, I'm still trying to find the voices of the characters, so bear with me. Thirdly, I'm a little rusty on all the details, so as for time frame I'm going to say that this happened shortly after The Avengers, and it will probably bleed into AOU (depending on how long this fic gets), I don't know if there will be references to other movies just yet (?) but like I said, bear with me. **

**So thanks again, and enjoy :) **

* * *

><p>"Hill." She said, presenting him with yet another option.<p>

The sound of bullets whizzing past them was deafening, convincing Steve he'd misheard her.

"Maria?" He asked.

Natasha crouched beside Steve, while he watched their target from the corner of his eye. "See, you guys are already on a first name basis." She whispered, her green eyes gleaming at him.

"Can we try not to get killed and _then_ you can play matchmaker?"

She rolled her eyes, "You know, for a super soldier you're quite the drama queen."

* * *

><p>Natasha and Steve headed for the car; with their mission completed they had to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. This had been their first mission in the weeks since the battle of New York and their adrenaline was pumping. He opened the passenger door for her, and Natasha shot him a questionable look.<p>

"I drive." She instructed.

"You're bleeding, so I'm driving." Steve's voice was the stern, unwavering tone that made his title of Captain seem appropriate.

Natasha glanced down and noticed the four-inch wound on her abdomen. "I've dealt with worse. Just ask Barton, he'll tell you all about the hell we went through in Budapest."

Steve stood his ground, "Get in the car."

She muttered something incoherent under her breath, he was sure it was a string of expletives with his name attached at the end. He smiled and shook his head at her, "So stubborn."

Her arms were crossed tightly against her chest, "You know, I can multitask." She said once he took the seat beside her.

"Multitask? As in bleed and drive?"

"Exactly." Natasha opened the glove compartment, removing the first aid kit. The car picked up speed as they merged onto the highway, while she quickly bandaged herself up.

Steve looked over at the red head next to him, "Why don't you wait until we get back to HQ? We can get a doctor to clean and care for that properly."

She waved her hand at him, ignoring his advice, "I can take care of myself, Rogers."

She placed the first aid kit back in the compartment in front of her. And did a once over of the vehicle they were in. "Who's car is this?"

Steve shrugged, "I don't know, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s?"

"I figured that much." She replied, "I meant, which agent's?"

"Not sure ... why?"

Natasha began digging around, looking for a registration or some other clue. "Because," she stuck her hand under her seat, wincing at the sharp pain in her stomach. "These cars are usually equipped with different things, depending on the agent."

A grin spread across her face as she found what she was looking for. A metal box about one foot in dimension, she pulled it onto her lap.

Steve's dark blonde brows furrowed together, "I don't think you should be snooping around here. Put that back Romanov."

She snorted, "Relax Gramps."

Natasha opened the small box, and inside it was full of various snacks and candy. "Score!" She wore the face of a child on Christmas morning.

"Twizzler?" She asked, pointing the candy in his direction. Steve glanced at her disapprovingly.

"Fine." She said, retracting her offer, "I was just trying to be nice."

"You know I wouldn't have pegged you for the candy type." The Captain noted, watching from the corner of his eye as the spy beside him bit the heads off gummy bears.

"I'm not, but you know, PMS-ing."

He made a face, and Natasha laughed, basking in how uncomfortable that sentence had made him.

"Oh come on Cap, you'll never find a date if you scowl at the mention of menses."

His face flashed red, and her smile grew, she was enjoying this more than he thought was necessary.

"I told you, I don't need a date." Steve said, turning the conversation to his single status, in hopes that it would stop her from talking about her period.

"It's been over half a century since your last kiss." She argued.

"Says who?"

Natasha dropped the pack of gummy bears in her hand, a few escaped and rolled to her feet. "Don't tell me, the almighty super soldier has a secret tinder account?" She asked, the shock on her face was evident.

"I don't know what that is, but if you're asking about my personal life, I'm not going to disclose that information to you." His voice hardened again.

"I disclosed personal information to you."

"That I didn't ask for." Steve replied, his ears growing pink with the left over embarrassment of the super spy discussing her period with him.

She sighed, "I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need help. I have busy life and no time for a girlfriend."

She smiled and raised her eyebrows at him. "Boyfriend?"

"_Natasha."_ He said unamused. "Stop."

"Hill."

"Stop it." He repeated.

Natasha finished the pack of gummy bears, and opened a bag of chocolate covered almonds. "Why not? She understands the job, and she's smoking hot."

Steve kept his eyes glued to the road, ignoring her suggestion.

"I can set it up for you if you want, I've got her number right here." She teased, holding up her iPhone.

"Can you just drop it?"

"Oh, is this that annoying macho thing guys do, where they want to be the one to ask the girl out? God, masculinity is fragile." She unlocked her phone, and began to type.

"What are you doing Romanoff?"

"Nothing … just texting a good friend of mine." A devious smirk danced along her lips.

"Okay, fine! I'll do it."

"Really?" Natasha's green eyes widened for a second, and he almost laughed at her excitement.

"Yes, really. Just don't ask for me … that's lame."

"Whatever you say, Captain."

Steve sighed, happy to have Natasha off his case, but the idea of asking out Maria created a whole new set of problems.

* * *

><p>"How'd it go?" Maria asked when they walked through the door of her office.<p>

Agent Maria Hill was a statuesque brunette, she wore a navy jumpsuit that fit like a second skin, and knee high black boots. Her hair tied back in its signature bun, sleek, neat, professional, and perfect for kicking ass. Her expression was serious with a hint of scowl, the same as always. With her pale blue eyes hard as ice, and just as mysterious, she looked from one avenger to the next, waiting for an answer.

"We were able to stop them before they even started." Rogers informed, and the agent nodded, "Plus," he removed a small flashdrive from his pocket, "we prevented them from stealing this."

With two strides, Steve had walked halfway across the room, standing in front of her. He placed he flashdrive in Maria's palm, and his finger grazed her's accidentally, sending a spark of electricity flowing through him. The Captain took a step back and cleared his throat, mentally cursing out Natasha for implanting thoughts in his head. Maria was the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Fury's right hand. That was intimidating enough, adding the idea of her as his date was almost too grand of a task for even Captain America.

Natasha walked towards the door, "Maria, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I should probably get this looked at." She gestured toward the wound that had begun to bleed through the bandage.

"Are you alright?"

She shrugged, "It's nothing I can't handle."

The corner of her mouth twitched, in what was almost the formation of a smile. Maria's eyes softened for a second, at the sight of her injured friend. "Take care of yourself."

Natasha nodded, and Maria's scowl returned, her brows knitting together as she focused on the screen of the computer before her.

_Ask her out!_ The red head mouthed to Steve as she walked backwards out of the office.

He shook his head, and Maria turned, surprised to see he was still there.

"So," He began nervously, "What's on the flashdrive?"

She waved her hand at him dismissively, "Nothing that you need to worry about. You should head back to Stark Tower, I think Tony was looking for you." Maria said without once looking up at him.

"Tony?" Steve suddenly remembered Stark's promise to _teach him how to live_. He groaned, "Oh great, he's going to take me to another lousy club."

She lifted a single eyebrow at him, her interested peaked, "I take it you're not big on the party scene?" Her question was rhetorical, but her eyes were searching. For what, he couldn't be sure, but he was grateful to have her attention.

"Not really my thing. The music is too loud, the people are too drunk, and everything is overpriced."

Maria's blue eyes remained on him, "Wow, you really sounded your age there." She commented, the faintest shadow of a smile threatening make an appearance.

"I'm not much of a dancer." He admitted, looking down at her.

An unusual stirring began deep in the pit of her stomach, when their eyes met. She withdrew her gaze quickly, returning her attention to the computer screen in front of her.

"I didn't think there was anything Captain America couldn't do." The words came out more snarky than she intended them to.

"Could be that I just haven't found the right partner yet."

The sound of her fingers clicking against the keyboard stopped, her hands froze. She shot a look at the man before her.

"Tony is already an ass as it is, I'm sure that keeping him waiting won't make him any easier to deal with." Her voice was as frozen as her ice blue eyes.

Steve nodded, "You're right." He took the hint; Maria wasn't a woman to be crossed. He was almost out the door when he stopped, his hand remaining on the doorknob.

"You know, if you're not to busy tonight-"

"I am." She said, instantly rejecting him for the second time.

"Right. I'm sure if you're not here S.H.I.E.L.D. will collapse." There was an edge to his voice that caught her attention. Few people had seen him be anything but polite. Sass was not part of his make up, and quite frankly, it didn't suit him too well; he looked uncomfortable the moment the words left his mouth, but held his ground despite it.

"If you saw some of the idiots they let run through here, you'd understand."

"I think I understand." He turned away from her, and opened the door.

"Steve?" Maria's voice had lost it's frightening edge. He stopped moving, but didn't look back at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. "Rain check?" She asked.

With his back still to her, a large smile spread across his lips, "Sure." He replied, the victory clear in his tone. He walked out of the office, letting the sound of the door closing echo through the hollowed hall.


	2. Rain Check

**A/N: Wow, thank you all soooo much for your amazing reviews x3 I honestly didn't expect so much positive feedback! (or any feedback really) But thank you again for reading, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter because it took _FOREVER_ to finally get right. I'm pretty psyched to see what you all have to say about it, so read, review, etc ... but most of all enjoy it :) **

**This one is kind of fluffy and will leave you feeling good - because the next one will be more angsty ... mwahahahaa**

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><p>The next couple of weeks continued as normal for Steve, or whatever normal had been since his defrosting. Between working out, completing missions, and being dragged by Stark to every exclusive club in the city, he'd remained fairly busy.<p>

It wasn't until a rainy Thursday, after his morning jog, that Steve found himself thinking about her. Like any passing thought flying through one's subconscious mind, it lasted only a second, but it was more than enough. Her blue eyes appeared almost warm, and her pink lips were upturned in a smile, her brown curls falling messily to her shoulders. Maria Hill, out of her element, enjoying herself. It was a sight that Steve knew was possible, and it was his mission to make it a reality.

* * *

><p>"Maria Hill," the computerized voice called to her, "you have a visitor."<p>

"Director Fury?" Maria asked, her blue eyes glued to the tablet in her hands.

"No, Commander."

"Then send them away, I'm busy."

With that command, the voice was silenced, and Maria returned to the tablet in her hands. She was busy monitoring the travel patterns of an enemy, when the voice returned.

"Commander Hill you have a visitor."

She rolled her eyes, and dropped the tablet on her desk. "Oh for fucks sake, I said I was busy."

"One of the Avengers is requesting entry." The computer replied.

"Is it Stark?" Maria asked, the bitterness in her tone evident.

"No, Commander."

She sighed, and stood up, in a final and reluctant tone, she replied, "Send them up."

Less than a minute later, Steve walked through the door, he was out of uniform and held one hand behind his back.

Maria blinked at him, it was the only sign of surprise that could be seen through the mask of a scowl she wore regularly.

"Captain," her tone hid her surprise well, but not well enough that he couldn't sense it. "You don't have your shield, so I'm assuming it's not urgent. Has living with Tony turned you into a pompous ass who barges in unannounced for no particular reason, as well?"

Steve smiled, he'd caught Maria Hill off guard and hadn't received a roundhouse to the jaw or a bullet through his chest. He took that to believe it was going well.

He cleared his throat and took a step towards her, "Good to see you too, Maria." He flashed a smile at her, but her scowl remained.

"Rogers, I'm trying to prevent potential attacks against this planet, so forgive me for skipping the formalities."

"Even the Deputy Director needs a break." He finally removed his hand from behind his back, revealing two tickets in his hand.

She raised an eyebrow precariously at him, "What's that?"

"A rain check." The hint of a smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, and Maria shook her head.

"I can't tonight. I told you I'm very busy."

His smirk remained, "They're not for tonight."

"Well I'm busy tomorrow too."

"It's a Saturday matinee, we will slip in, virtually unspotted by anyone. After, we will head to a restaurant down the street, where I've already gotten us the most private seating available in this paparazzi infested city. And don't tell me you're busy, I checked your schedule, you don't work on Saturday."

"You checked my schedule? Who gave you the clearance?"

He shrugged, and added smugly, "Let's just say that there are a lot of people in this city that are willing to bend the rules for me."

Their eyes met, she was searching for a crack in this perfect plan, a glitch in his sincerity, but this was Captain America. Everything he did was sincere and honest. Maria crossed her arms across her chest, the Commander in her told her it was ridiculous, but she was more than just the Deputy Director, she was a woman. One who hadn't been on a date in longer than she wanted to acknowledge. She eyed the specimen before her, his soft blond hair, and the boyish eagerness in his blue eyes, contrasted starkly against his rigid jawline and rippling muscles - which were barely disguised beneath a plain white v-neck.

"Pick me up at a quarter to one." She instructed, and his eyes brightened.

* * *

><p>"Hey there Captain Hot Stuff, where are you going?" Stark quipped.<p>

Steve grimaced, he had been hoping to escape Stark Tower unnoticed, but Tony, as always, made that impossible.

"Stark." Steve said, an edge to his voice.

"Got a hot date?" Tony asked with a laugh, and Steve remained silent.

"Holy shit!" A grin crawled upon Stark's lip, he punched Steve's arm approvingly. "Way to go Capsicle. Who's the not-so-lucky lady that you're looking dapper for?"

Before Steve could answer, Pepper entered the room, a disapproving look in her eyes, "Tony, leave him alone." She turned to Steve, giving him a once over. He was wearing one of the several suits that Pepper had stocked his closet with, all of which were more expensive than he could imagine.

"You look very handsome." Pepper complimented.

"Thank you." He replied, his blue eyes were warm, but nervous.

"So, this chick, is she going to pop your frozen cherry?" Stark asked with a wink.

"My what?"

"Tony!" Pepper scolded, and he replied with a laugh.

"Come on Cap, when was the last time you got some? World War II?"

Steve blushed, "You're ridiculous, and I'm leaving."

"Ignore him," The red head instructed kindly, "you and your date have a great time."

He smiled at her, and gave Stark – who was pantomiming something vulgar - a disapproving shake of his head. Steve walked towards the elevator, and heard as Pepper smacked Tony's arm; he chuckled to himself.

* * *

><p>At twelve forty, the intercom in Maria Hill's Upper West Side Penthouse apartment buzzed. She checked her watch, and put on her earrings before looking at the security footage. The six foot tall soldier at her door held a bouquet of flowers, and ran a hand through his blonde hair nervously. She smiled to herself, before recently she would've never thought of Captain America as being capable of being vulnerable, and yet as he stood in front of her door, he had the features of a lost kitten.<p>

Maria unlocked the door with the press of a button, and walked into her bathroom to apply her lipstick. There was a knock on the apartment door, Maria grabbed her purse, and headed out.

"Hi." He greeted, holding the flowers out to her. "These are for you."

She took the simple bouquet of bright pink flowers, and sniffed them, her painted lips upturning in a smile.

"Chrysanthemums." Her blue eyes softened in his, melting like putty in the sun.

"They're your favorite." Steve replied matter of factly, her smile reflected in his own.

"Fury told you?"

"Natasha."

The hallway grew silent, and they took a minute to admire one another outside of their work attire. Though she'd seen Steve in casual clothing, never had she paid much attention. Now, as she stared at him, Maria regretted not looking before. The muscles on his arms were visible through the navy suit jacket; the pale blue button down underneath made his eyes shine brighter than she'd thought was possible. Her eyes drifted, and part of her wondered what was lurking beneath his suit. Maria's breath hitched at the thought of him wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in close.

_Pull yourself together Hill!_ She mentally scolded herself.

Meanwhile, Steve was lost in his own thoughts of her. He'd never seen Maria in a dress before, and she was stunning. The dress was skintight, hugging every finely toned curve of hers. The burgundy hue matched her lipstick shade; and the black band around her microscopic waist held his attention. She noticed his eyes flicker to her cleavage for a brief moment, before making eye contact with her, and couldn't help but crack the tiniest smile.

Maria looked back at the flowers, "Thanks."

"Wait out here." She instructed as she turned back to her apartment for a moment.

She found a crystal vase in the back of her closet, filled it with water and submerged the stems of her bright bouquet. The pink flowers sat on the alabaster coffee table, absorbing the sunlight that peaked through the thin drapes of her floor to ceiling windows. A small beagle trotted over to her lazily, Maria rubbed the top of his head. "Hey Jinx," she cooed in a voice that would've been virtually unrecognizable by anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. "I'm going to be back in a few."

Jinx took a seat beside her booted feet, his ears hung lower than usual. "Jinxy, don't give me that look." She said softly, and the dog let out a low whine. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

Maria dimmed the lights in the apartment, and left one set of puppy dog eyes, only to be met with another. Jinx's warm brown eyes had been filled with sadness, unlike Steve's large baby blue eyes, which widened with her reappearance. They showcased the same adoration and awe that Jinx's did when she returned home from a mission. Maria held back the urge laugh.

The two walked outside, to where a private car was waiting for them. Steve was his expected chivalrous self, despite Maria's insistence that she was capable of opening her own doors.

Steve slid into the seat beside her, and smiled, "Well, as long as I'm here, you won't ever have to touch a door handle."

She rolled her eyes, "God, you're such a _gentleman_."

He laughed, "And you are the only person I know that can make that sound like an insult."

Maria shrugged, the glint in her eyes failing to hide her own amusement.

* * *

><p>They arrived and got to their seats – Orchestra, middle section – Maria flipped through the Playbill, as Steve rolled his up nervously.<p>

"So, Maria" She peered up from the character bio she was reading in response to her name, her blue eyes resting on his. Steve ran his hand through his blonde hair, suddenly more nervous with her eyes on him. "Have you ever seen this show?"

"This is my first day off since before they found you trapped in a cube of ice. I don't really have much time for plays." She replied coldly.

"Right."

They'd hit an awkward lull, and Maria wanted to kick herself for coming off so harsh. She closed the Playbill, and placed it on her lap, looking up at Steve, she tried her best to be honest.

"Look, I'm not cut out for this. I don't open up, and I don't date. I'm not going to apologize for it, but consider yourself warned; this is new for me."

Steve smiled, for the first time that day his nervousness subsided, he felt relieved, and oddly comforted by her admission.

"I get it."

She gave him a sideways glance, "You do?"

"Of course. Ever since I was unfrozen, dating hasn't really been my first priority. This is new for me too." Steve paused for a minute, his eyes gazing into hers, "It's nice to be out like this."

She glanced up at him, her eyes instructing him to elaborate.

"You know, to be out unnoticed, without the worry of being under fire."

"You mean unguarded?"

"Exactly. Don't you feel that way?" He asked, his puppy dog blue eyes full of joy.

Maria almost laughed at his naivety, but stopped herself. She grabbed the hem of her dress and lifted it a couple of inches. Steve looked away, a red hot blush spreading up his neck to the tips of his ears.

"Maria!" He said in a hushed whisper, his right hand covering the side of his face.

She rolled her eyes, "Just look."

"I don't want to."

"Don't be stupid." She said with a laugh, and he peered over at her slightly. A black lace garter sat mid-way across her thigh. There was a second solid black garter underneath, and between the two was a well concealed pocket knife.

Steve dropped his hand from the side of his confused face. "Is that— are you—how did you sneak that past security?" He stuttered out, and Maria smirked at him.

"_I_ am never unguarded_." _She told him slyly.

"You can put your dress down now." he said, the embarrassment still clear on his face.

Maria chuckled lightly as she pushed the red garment back down her leg. "I didn't realize you were such a prude."

He ignored her comment, "Tell me exactly how does keeping a knife in a garter protect you?"

"Easily accessible, small, and very _lethal_." She placed a seductive emphasis on the last word, her eyes telling him more than her words.

"Do you always keep that on you?"

"Where I go, they go."

"They?" He gave her an impressed and shocked smile, the blush was gone from his face, and embarrassment was replaced with intrigue.

Maria unzipped her Lou Vuitton knee-high, healed, boots, revealing a matte black glock.

Before Steve had the chance to reply, the lights began to dim, indicating the play was going to start. He thought he saw her smile at him, but it was too dark to tell, and as the music began to play, she diverted her eyes from him.

* * *

><p>"That was actually pretty good." Maria complimented as the walked out of he theater.<p>

The summer sun had drifted lower into the sky placing a chill in the air. As light breeze hit them, an array of goosebumps appeared on from her skin.

Steve removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Here."

"I'm fine." She insisted, but he refused to take the jacket back. Maria sighed, and when she thought he wasn't looking, she smiled while sliding her arms through the sleeves.

They walked five blocks through the crowded city, chatting lightly about the show they'd seen. The scenery had awed Steve, and Maria enjoyed the orchestra; its smooth sound and perfect timing had made the play. It was an afternoon that was coming along better than either could've anticipated.

They arrived at the restaurant and were seated in a private room almost immediately. He pulled out her chair, and despite her huffed annoyance at his chivalry, there was a sincere thank you in her eyes. Maria shed the oversized suit jacket, and returned it to him. Their hands touched for a brief second; electricity sparking between them. Warm blood rushed to her cheeks, and she looked away trying her best to stifle the blush.

The table was candlelit; the room had an old Victorian style to it, one that made them feel as though they were no longer in New York City, but rather a private castle somewhere. The glow of the dim lighting made their surroundings fuzzy, so there was no one and nothing to focus on but one another and neither minded. It was all very romantic, not in the cheesy sense that would typically make Maria scoff, but in a classical sense. Like Steve himself, the atmosphere was sophisticated in a way that you couldn't find in something modern.

Something about the setting felt almost magical, for the time they were nothing more than a couple on a first date. She was not among the highest ranking members in the most secretive organization in the world, and he was not a fossilized super human defrosted for the sake of saving the world. They were Steve and Maria. They talked about their interests, they laughed at childhood tales, and shared random anecdotes. It was a beautiful evening and like most, ended far too quickly.

Maria watched his soft blue eyes glow grey in the darkened room, the yellow light of the candle reflecting off them. He looked back at her, the image of her from earlier that week had become a reality. Her chocolate brown ringlets bounced against her shoulders, appearing almost black in the darkened room. Maria began to tell a story, as she spoke he reached over and brushed a loose strand behind her ear. His hand lingered for a moment too long, and she paused, trying to recall her train of thought past the pounding in her ears.

The waiter refilled their champagne, and handed them each a slice of tiramisu. Maria placed a bite of the enticing dessert to her lips, while Steve began a story about his military service. She smiled at the look of nostalgia in his face, the way his pupils contracted, a haze fogging over his eyes. He was so deep into his story that she too could see it; like a movie playing before them. Maria's hand found his from across the table, and nothing could pull them out of that moment. Nothing; except the sound of her cell phone ringing. The adoration in her eyes was gone almost immediately. Her hand pulled away from his and reached into her purse retrieving her phone.

"Maria Hill."

She used her name as a greeting, her serious work tone taking the place of the infatuated one she had earlier. All light and laughter was gone from her eyes, and replaced with the icy glare she often wore. A mask of a scowl rearranged her features into her familiar affect.

"Yes." Her voice was cold as steel.

"Affirmative. I'll be there in ten." Commander Hill hung up the phone, placing it back in her purse and looked up at Steve. Behind her hard expression was a vague apology in her eyes. "Fury needs me." She informed him as she stood up.

He stood up with her, "Let me walk you out." He insisted, and she nodded.

Steve placed a hand on the middle of her back, gently guiding her towards the door. His hand felt like the sun, sending waves of one thousand degrees through her dress and to her spine; warming her cold and fierce exterior.

She brought her eyes to his, and leaned into him, not wanting the evening to end.

There was a black car waiting for her as soon as they stepped outside.

"I had a good time. Thank you." Maria told him, his hand still against her back.

"My pleasure." He replied.

She kept her eyes on his lips; silently wondering what they would feel like pressed to hers.

Steve pulled her into an embrace, sending her heart into overdrive. Blood rushed to her extremities, a warm tingling sensation spread to her fingers and toes. His rock hard abs were surprising gentle against her torso. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and looked up at his lips. He watched her eyes move from his mouth to his eyes, asking him to make a move.

Steve leaned in and placed his mouth to hers. The kiss was soft, graceful, but full of passion. Her lips parted against his, inviting his tongue in. His teeth pressed lightly against her bottom lip. She shuddered against him, and kissed him back. This second kiss lasted longer, his hands were at her jaw, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs, and holding her mouth to his. This was the kind of kiss that they could've lived in; sweet, tender, and chill-inducing, neither wanted it to end. She savored every second of it, until finally, Maria pulled away. Reluctantly, breaking the kiss, but not all contact. Their foreheads touched and they struggled to catch their breath. Maria opened her eyes and peered at him through hooded lids.

"Goodbye Steve."

Her fingers rubbed the blond hair on the back of his neck, and she gave him one last longing look before breaking their embrace and getting into the black van. Back in the car, she changed her outfit and picked up her hair, shifting into Deputy Director mode, with her smudged lipstick the only reminder of their evening together.


End file.
